Utility cabinet



April 25, 1939. T. B. sTETzl-:R

UTILITY CABINET Filed July 8, 195e Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a new and improved utility cabinet for use in bath rooms, and adapted particularly to support and enclose a douche bag.

A douche bag, because of its common and well known use in personal hygiene and sanitation, is usually placed out of sight as in a drawer when not in use. To permit the bag to remain in view would be embarrassing and in some instances indicative of a lack of delicacy. Also, when in use,

the bag must be supported in an elevated position, and in many bath rooms convenient means for suspending the bag is not available. Hence,

use of the bag ordinarily involves inconvenience and annoyance. The bag must be taken from the drawer or wherever it is kept when not in use. After being filled, it must be held or supported in elevated position. Then it must be drained and replaced out of view.

One of the primary objects. of the present invention resides in the provision of a novel utility cabinet which serves to support the douche bag when in use, and which houses the bag and encloses it from view at all other times. As a result, the bag is always conveniently available, and adapted to be supported in elevated position for emptying and draining. It need not be placed with other articles which might become so-iled thereby, or to which medicated odors might be imparted.

A more specific object is to provide a new and improved bath room utility cabinet which is of a size and shape adapted to receive and support a douche bag, which is formed in the bottom wall 35 with an opening for the tube of the bag so that the latter can be used while supported therein, and which has means for supporting the tube and a cover for enclosing the bag and tube when not in use.

A further object resides in the provision of openings in the bottom wall of the cabinet for ventilation and for draining off any water that might tend to collect.

A general object is to provide a new and improved cabinet of the foregoing character which is simple and inexpensive in construction and neat in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a cabinet embodying the features of my invention, the cover being open and the douche bag being illustrated in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the cabi- (Cl. 20G-69) net with the cover closed and taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the mounting for the rubber bag.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the cabinet, constituting the exemplary embodiment of my invention, preferably is at, shallow and rectangular in form, and comprises a back wall I0, vertical side walls II and I2, and top and bottom walls I3 and open, but is adapted to be closed b-y a cover I5 connected for swinging movement by means of hinges I6 to the side wall I2. A marginal flange I'I on the cover I5 is adapted to fit about the open front of the cabinet. Projecting outwardly from the wall II is a lug o-r detent I8 adapted for interfltting engagement with a bent portion I9 of the ange I1 to retain the cover I5 releasa-bly in closed position.

The cabinet may be made of any suitable material, and in the present instance is made of sheet metal which may be painted or enameled.

Any suitable means may be provided for supporting the cabinet in position as, for example, on a bath room wall. To this end, the back wall I0 is formed near the top and midway of the sides with a vertical bayonet slot 20 adapted to receive a headed screw, nail or other wall support (not shown). A plurality of spaced holes 2l are also formed in the wall I0 to receive screws (not shown) for fastening the cabinet permanently to the bath room wall.

The cabinet is provided in a size and shape to adapt it particularly for a douche bag indicated at 22 and having a discharge tube 23. Rigidly fixed on the rear wall IU adjacent the upper edge are a plurality of brackets 24. In the present instance, three brackets 24 in arcuate arrangement are provided. Each of the brackets 24 preferably consists of an arm which projects forwardly through substantially the full depth of the cabinet, and the free forward end of which is bent or struck upwardly to provide a lug 25.

I4. The front of the cabinet is The bag 22, which may be of standard form and made of rubber, is adapted to be removably supported in the cabinet. While any suitable means may be provided for this purpose, preferably one apertured ear 26 of the bag 22 is slipped onto the central bracket 24 as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The bottom wall I4 of the cabinet is formed with an upstanding ange 21 along the front edge, with a transverse slot 28 opening to the front, and with a plurality of sets of drainage and ventilation apertures 29.

In use, the bag 22 is lled and suspended from the intermediate bracket 24, and the tube 23 is extended downwardly through the slot 28 out of the cabinet. Provided the bag is not too full, the cover I5 may be closed, the slot 28 being deeper than the flange 2'I so that the tube 23 will remain unconstricted. When the bag 22 is not in use, it is retained in the cabinet, and the tube 23 is supported on the brackets 24, and the cover cr door I5 is closed to conceal the interior from view. In Fig. 1, the tube 23 is shown as mounted on the brackets 24 and disconnected from the bag 22. It will be understood that the tube can be supported on the brackets 24 entirely within the cabinet Without being disconnected. Al-

though the bag will drain freely when the tube 'I3 is suspended, any liquid that might collect on the bottom wall I4 can pass out through the apertures 29.

It will be evident that I have provided a desirable and useful douche bag kit Which is convenient in use, which requires little space, and which is not oiensive to personal sensibilities.

I claim as my invention:

A bathroom utility cabinet for douche bags comprising, in combination, a box open at the front, and having a rear Wall, side walls and top and bottom walls and adapted to receive a douche bag with a discharge tube, a hinged cover on said box for closing the front, a transverse slot of approximately the same Width as the tube formed in and opening to the front edge of the bottom wall substantially midway of the side walls, said tube being adapted selectively to be supported entirely within said box or to be inserted laterally into and suspended downwardly through said slot, and an upstanding flange alongthe front edge of said bottom wall and intersected by the slot, said flange and said bottom wall providing convenient shelf space for receiving articles incidental to the use of the cabinet.

THEODORE B. STETZER. 

